Bread and Butter
by destyshell
Summary: What would Richard Castle do if he thought he was dreaming? Based on the series promo  just a little shift in location …if you haven't seen it, go to youtube and search for Hugo Bread & Butter on ABC's Castle. The fic will make much more sense if you do.


**Bread and Butter**

**What would Richard Castle do if he thought he was dreaming? Based on the series promo (just a little shift in location)…if you haven't seen it, go to youtube and search for Hugo Bread & Butter on ABC's Castle. The fic will make much more sense if you do. Set after "Lucky Stiff." Fun and romance…the mature kind…ok…plenty of smut. **

**Disclaimer-Still own nada.**

"Last call before we turn in," Esposito offered, passing a fresh margarita to the 12th's most generous host. Castle had made certain his fellow detectives and their ladies had the top bid for the 'weekend in the Hamptons get-away.' How he had conned Beckett into playing hostess, Ryan and Esposito had yet to figure out.

"Last call? But the night is still young, my friends!" Castle cried with good-humored dismay. "Come on, Ryan?...Esposito? Who is going to play next round?" the affable writer tossed his pool cue from hand to hand, letting the butt-end pivot against the Oriental rug.

"If Javi don't get his ass upstairs, this ain't gonna' be the only kind of pool he's playin'," a very demanding medical examiner insisted, threatening to abandon him to self-gratification if he didn't join her in their guest room immediately.

Jenny, slightly more subtle than the overt Dr. Parish, wrapped her hands around her fiancé's bicep, his arms braced against Castle's pool table, "Yeah, it is getting kind of late…and Lanie's sangria is very good," Jenny blushed, "but very strong," she giggled lightly.

"Like you should expect anything less when you ask Esposito and me to play bartender," Lanie said with her usual unquestionable certitude.

Beckett's heels clicked against the marble as she entered the game room. Lanie handed off her nearly-full glass of sangria to her friend, who was also doubling as the weekend's hostess.

"There are fresh towels and blankets in your rooms, and just let us know if you need anything."

"Don't worry about us—we need anything, we can find it for ourselves, girl," Lanie waved off Kate's dutiful persona.

"Yeah, I think a couple of NYPD's lead detectives can find the soap and washcloths," Esposito tossed back with a cocky smile.

"Fine…what time for brunch tomorrow? 10:00?" Kate gave in graciously.

"Make it 10:30—I plan to make it a very late night," Ryan waggled his eyebrows and handed his cue stick off to Beckett while earning a swat and a grin from his fiancé.

"Shush," she chastised good-naturedly. "Night, Kate."

"Night, guys," Kate called, lowering the lights in the game room before Castle's plaintive cries halted her progress.

"It's still early guys…," he whined, clearly not ready to be alone for the evening. Castle shot back the tequila that Esposito had poured, nearly resigned to an early night in his too large bed, plagued with the reality that his muse was sleeping just feet away, amidst Alexis's too juvenile stuffed animals, now relegated to the beach house.

The song on the stereo shuffled to a low, seductive beat and husky hum, but only served to punctuate his isolation by virtue of its juxtaposition. Castle tried once last time in hopes for one more postponement to a night spent alone.

"_Somebody _call next game."

"I call next game."

_She tastes like midnight__  
><em> 

Kate Beckett's hips swung with every step, the red dress that hugged every curve necessitated that movement.

_She tastes like wine_

The six of them had spent the early evening dining and dancing, Castle reveling in the chance to hold Beckett close as they danced, chastised with a smirk and raised brow whenever his innuendo or hands went a little too far south.

Rick Castle had enjoyed the last several weeks of close contact with Detective Beckett, the planning of her mother's benefit and the gala itself providing many chances for the writer to slip his arm to her side for the myriad of photos that were taken, use the fame and fortune that she usually disdained so that young people could carry on her mother's work, and when she asked what time he would be picking her up for the gala (in addition to the fact that she hadn't mentioned motorcycle boy in the last several weeks), he figured that the good doctor was long gone and not coming back in the near future.

When Kate agreed to come to the Hamptons this weekend, Rick Castle thought that his dreams had come true.

But that was nothing compared to the vision that stood before him now.

_She tastes like midnight_

Castle's eyes traveled from the 4-inch spikes of Kate's red heels up the sheer, barely discernable silk stockings. The scandalously short hem of her body-hugging red dress ended at the swell of her full breasts. While she was upstairs, she had shed the more modest jacket she'd worn to dinner, and the expanse of creamy skin that now shone made Castle's fingers itch to touch her.

_She tastes like wine_

With a tunnel vision born out of three years of abject fascination with Kate Beckett, Castle stared, mouth slightly agape as she stroked the cue in her hands, pursing her lips to blow the blue chalk dust away in a kiss that had yet to meet its mark. She regarded her shadow with hooded hazel eyes and seductive smile.

_Gonna run my fingers__  
><em>

__Rick Castle blinked back the fog that must be clouding his sight, though the promising image failed to shift.

_Oh, down your spine_

Of course, Beckett, taking her billiards as seriously as she took everything else, was checking the cue for any warping that might have occurred during the rainy off-season, and the detective preferred a fine, even sheen of chalk on the tip, so blowing away the excess was an absolute necessity.

Well…almost.

"You ok, Castle?" Kate noted the breathless flush and wide eyes so dark that only a sliver of blue still shone.

Reaching up, she tugged loose the golden tie that highlighted the deep indigo shirt and jacket he wore. Beckett expected Castle to have the presence of mind to gather the falling strip of silk in his hand, but it fell to the floor, like so much discarded crime scene tape.

"Too much of Esposito's tequila for one night?" the head detective lay the backs of her fingers against his warm cheek, then popped loose his top two buttons and slipped off his jacket in lieu of his catatonic unresponsiveness.

Beckett flicked open the catch on the French doors, hoping the fresh air might snap her partner out of his stupor.

"I think I may have inadvertently swallowed the worm by mistake…," Castle furrowed his brow in consternation, too disoriented to notice his own redundancy.

_Just like a bad dream__  
><em>

"I don't think Esposito would have brought Mescal to the Hamptons," Kate scoffed with a hint of a smile.

_Stay on my mind…_

Trying to recoup some of his usual suave demeanor (without success), Castle took a deep breath of the cool sea air to try to clear his head, and then sought out the terms of the challenge.

"What stakes are we playing for, detective?" he tried to inquire coolly.

"Winner makes breakfast—loser washes dishes," she replied fairly, not wanting to wholly renege on her hostessing duties.

"You do know that making breakfast consists of more than opening a box of donuts, don't you, Beckett?"

"I was thinking of something more hot and sticky, with a lot more clean-up required," she corrected in a tormenting, husky drawl, Castle's brows shooting upward at the image that shot through his addled brain.

"Rack 'em up, Castle," Beckett challenged, leaning over the pool table as she propped her arms to the side, providing her partner with a tantalizing view.

Because if Rick Castle was off his proverbial game, Katherine Beckett was not going to waste the chance to tease him unmercifully.

Castle was struck mute and immobile at the proffered view. Smiling at the wreck she had caused, Beckett added, "And make sure you get those balls _nice_ and _tight_."

Ok…she may have gone a little far with that one.

Dumbly, Castle fitted the pool balls into their predetermined shape, trying desperately to ignore that his body followed orders more quickly than his brain did.

Kate took a long sip of her sangria, reveling in her newfound capacity to render her partner speechless.

"Ladies first," Castle tried once again for command of the situation as he lifted away the rack, trying to steel himself for her next onslaught.

Better luck next time.

Kate Beckett bent deeply at the waist, her red silk-covered ass rising from the low arch of her back, cleavage spilling to escape the neckline of her dress. She caught Castle's expectant eyes and grinned wickedly.

Just as the cue ball broke apart the solids and stripes, dropping the two and six, respectively, a gust of rose petals flittered past Beckett, catching on a transfixed Richard Castle during their windy journey.

Of course, Castle had forgotten all about the lovely arrangement that Jenny and Ryan had brought which was sitting on a low table not far from the open French doors.

A spark of realization hit Rick Castle like no epiphany before or since.

Studying the remaining balls, Kate moved to Rick's end of the table, just the tiniest bit proud that she would be able to tease her partner from a completely different angle.

Of course, Kate Beckett knew better than turn her back on Rick Castle when he was forming a theory.

Leaning forward to take her second shot, Beckett suddenly felt a very strong, warm body leaning in to hers, purposeful fingers sweeping her hair to the side and insistent lips grazing that sweet spot just below her ear.

Kate Beckett was too astounded to speak coherent words, though a soft moan escaped her throat as Rick's mouth found the bare curve of her neck, unable to stop the deep arching of her back as her scantly-covered bottom ground against the strained trousers behind her.

Then, of course, Kate found her voice—not speaking sharply or loudly, but speaking as one might to a child…or…a deranged person.

Sometimes you're faced with a little bit of both.

"Castle…what are you doing?" she questioned carefully, turning her face to look back at him. Not that she wasn't enjoying Rick's attentions, but in one moment, he had breached all the protocols she had carefully put in place over the previous three years. Kate wondered if her teasing had finally driven the writer over the edge, and she would be required to find him a nice 'restful' place, preferably with a good view of the park and down-padded walls.

"Me…I'm dreaming," Castle stated simply before returning to the creamy length of skin and the homage he was paying to it.

Kate's brow furrowed as she tried to puzzle out his answer, and although Rick's mouth was making every inch of her come alive and tingle with anticipation, her natural curiosity won out, turning to face him, though still remaining in Castle's embrace.

"Dreaming?" Beckett repeated incredulously.

"Mmm hmm, Rick hummed against her skin, smiling as he discovered a new spot that made her body press against his own. His kisses stopped long enough for him to explain, "I'm not sure if it was just the tequila…or if the worm is still a possibility, but I am quite sure that I'm passed out and dreaming."

Kate couldn't help but smile at Rick's sincerity, and asked with a little chuckle, " So…what…every night you dream about us having sex?"

"Well…at least until the Hulk appears and screws everything up," he said plainly.

"The Hulk?" Kate repeated, wondering for a moment if _she_ was the one passed out and dreaming.

Castle sought to explain, pausing in his ministrations to do so.

"You know how when you are dreaming, and it's wonderful; it's so real, and you think 'finally, I 'm touching her…I'm kissing her…,'" naturally, Castle automatically punctuated every moment of build-up with hip-thrusting enthusiasm. "And then…when you're almost there…every hope fulfilled…every fantasy realized…," Castle's enthusiasm was quashed in sudden dismay. "Then the Hulk shows up and everything goes to hell."

"Why the Hulk?" (Ok, Kate knew she shouldn't ask…but then again, how could she not?)

"Lou would chase me around the set in between takes. Mom thought using the Hulk as a threat would encourage me to behave," Castle sighed.

"Did it work?" Kate shot back- the satire should have been blatantly obvious.

"I scammed a tube of green body paint from the make-up trailer the next day," Castle recalled sheepishly.

"So is it always the Hulk who breaks up these little trysts of ours?" Kate asked with a grin, far too amused to be pissed off at his advances.

"No…sometimes it's Hervé Villechaize. He curses me, and I wake up, thinking that I've shrank to four foot two."

Beckett couldn't help but laugh openly at Castle's predicament, questioning Rick's deepest fears through fits of breathless laughter, "Why…," Kate fought to speak through her chuckling gasps, "why, did Hervé Villechaize want to curse you?"

"You haven't spent much time around nine-year-old boys, have you?" Castle asked with a curious brow.

"Not really…," Beckett tried to get her breath and puzzle out her partner's logic, "So just the Hulk and Tattoo? That's it?"

"Generally, it just gets worse from there…psychotic relatives…girls with axes…zombies…orifice-invading space slugs…," he listed absently, "aliens…."

"Aliens?" Kate questioned, as if that were the only item on the list up for debate.

"Mm—cannibalistic mutant aliens," he nodded seriously.

"Your head is a scary place to be, Castle," Kate shook her head, though still didn't move away from Castle's embrace. Right now, his dream theory was looking like a distinct possibility.

"I know, right?" Castle concurred with a nod.

"So, should I be waiting for 'you won't like me when I'm angry' or 'da plane, da plane'?" Kate raised her eyebrows and sighed.

"Neither—that's what's great about all this," Castle's eyes sparkled with excited glee. " You know, when you're dreaming, and you _realize_ that it's a dream, and you figure out that you can _control _what's happening…live the fantasy without worrying about the nightmare…."

Castle punctuated his burst of realization with a voraciously passionate kiss. Kate was so caught off guard that she fell into the kiss for a moment before engaging her brain once more and pulling back to further question her moderately-unstable partner.

"So how do you know for certain that you're not wide awake right now? That all this isn't _really_ happening?" Beckett led with a concerned furrow between her eyes.

"Well, if this were really happening, I expect you'd have me skewered to the felt with your pool cue," Castle logically predicted.

Kate had to chuckle softly, "I don't think I would resort to justifiable homicide," Kate snarked, "but you would probably have a whole bushel-full of apples by the time I was finished with you."

"It's a good thing this is a dream, then," Castle reasoned boyishly.

"I guess it is," Kate conceded with a slight smile and a sudden, insatiable curiosity. "So…how does this happy dream of yours unfold?"

Kate Beckett was no fool.

She knew damn well that she had just let the genie out of the bottle, but, honestly, she had been fantasizing about this weekend for a while now, wondering if she and Castle might test the waters as a couple. If she allowed his flirtations to go unchecked, if she responded in kind, even, where would they wind up come Monday morning? And though it may have the coward's way out, Kate Beckett wondered what Rick Castle would do without boundaries, without the fear of his hand being slapped away, or her scornful words hanging heavy in the air.

She had suppressed her desire for this man far too long as it was. So what if he thought he was unconscious….

Rick grinned mischievously, "Generally, in the dream you're wearing far fewer clothes."

Kate's hazel eyes shone with nervousness and anticipation, her teeth nipping at her bottom lip, and with one more hitched breath, Beckett turned halfway in Castle's arms, looking over her shoulder as Rick grinned, sweeping her chestnut waves over her shoulder until his fingers could stroke freely over bare skin.

"Rick…," Kate whispered in an impatient breath.

Castle nipped at a bare shoulder, "It's my dream, don't rush me," he playfully chastised.

Lips drew a meandering path across Beckett's shoulders until their journey narrowed, following the descent of Kate's zipper. Castle grinned as his kisses to the small of Kate's back made her shudder. Gathering the silk in his hands, he slid the snug garment down, all the way to the tips of her red stiletto heels before lifting it away.

_Gonna spread you like butter_

Looking up from where he knelt, Beckett's legs seemed to go on forever. Her stockings were of the sheerest black silk that the writer had ever seen, each fastened to a lacy red garter where the gossamer film of black met creamy skin, ending in a little sliver of bare bottom before the red lace of her cheeky panties began.

_Give ya all my bread_

Beckett wobbled a little on her thin heels as Castle's mouth grazed her silk-covered calves, his hands steadying her as he moved to the tender flesh behind her knee. She strained to try to follow his progress up her trembling body.

_Don't want no other girl in my bed_

"Just turn around and hold on, Kate," Castle suggested in a husky drawl.

_Gonna spread you like _

_Hmmmmmmm Hmmmmmm…_

Kate gripped the pool table railing with both hands, the game forever altered as the soft clink of balls sounded her fingers' intrusion.

_Gonna spread you like _

_Hmmmmmm Hmmmmmmm…_

Castle's mouth found first one thigh and then the other, keeping Beckett in a state of anticipation, wondering which spot his lips would find next, the black silk damply cooling on her legs as he rose ever higher in his quest.

_Oh all the street lights__  
><em>_May know your name_

The writer was gratified by the detective's gasp as his mouth left the lace border of a stocking and was treated to the tender flesh of Kate's inner thighs, her legs spread a bit, as if Castle were doing a very thorough check for concealed weapons.

_Out in the moonlight __  
><em>

Beckett whimpered just a little as Castle's hair tickled at the heated places still covered by lace. He particularly relished the succulent bit of bottom that peeked from beneath, his attentions alternating onto each as he drew ever closer to the middle, Beckett shuddering slightly in anticipation as Castle nuzzled at the lace underneath.

_Don't you feel no shame_

"Castle…please…."

_Oh don't you worry__  
><em>

Rick chuckled softly as he rose to his feet, his hands exploring bare flesh blindly while he teased in her ear. "Maybe I'm not dreaming…maybe I died, and this is my own personal nirvana."

_You little flame_

Kate exhaled a breathy laugh as she arched her back and ground her lace-covered bottom against his tautly tented trousers. "I think you are very much alive…but wearing far too many clothes."

_Baby all the street lights__  
><em>

She turned in his arms, hungrily finding his mouth as her fingers deftly loosened the buttons she found before her, snatching his shirt tail from his slacks with purpose while he yanked at the offending cuffs. Navy trousers soon became an inky puddle at Castle's feet, kicked to the side as he dispensed with his socks and shoes, all the while finding untended bits of flesh to explore with his mouth as his hands fumbled to remove his footwear.

He met Kate's lips once again as she trailed her hands over the taut muscles and bronzed skin now bared before her. "That's better, now we're even," she smirked.

"Not for long," Castle promised, grinning as he pulled back slightly to get a good look at Detective Beckett's current state of undress.

_Will know your name_

His eyes twinkled as he pointedly noted her choice of garments, "Now, Kate…lingerie like this is meant to be seen."

Not to be embarrassed so easily, Beckett shot back in a honeyed voice, "Then that makes you a very lucky boy…," stroking his hardened length through his boxers to prove her point.

"Yes, I am," Castle concurred with an amused quirk of his brow and a kiss to Beckett's lips. Kate gave a tiny surprised squeak as Castle lifted her quickly to the table, the forgotten sangria spilling to the felt.

""It'll be ruined," Kate exclaimed as Castle ignored the stain in favor bringing that rosy flush to his partner's skin instead.

"Dream, remember…the stain's just a figment of our imaginations," he dismissed, the lead detective smiling at Castle's wild theory.

_Gonna spread you like butter__  
><em>

Kate sucked in a breath, feeling her lacy, red strapless give way as Castle deftly mastered the catch, the spilled lace and forgotten wine both contrasting sharply against the deep green felt.

_Give ya all my bread_

Castle's mouth traveled hungrily to those hardening peaks.

"So beautiful…I always dreamed they'd be this beautiful," Castle whimpered as Kate leaned back, propping her hands against the center of the table, granting her partner a portion of his long-held fantasy.

With one arm wrapped at Beckett's back and one caressing the fleshy mound with its pert tip, Castle suckled hungrily at his partner, nipples darkening to the color of dark cherries as he fed.

_Don't want no other girl in my bed_

Kate's needy center grew hot and damp, the tart and sweet scent calling to those primal desires Castle had tried so long to keep in check.

With a sweep of his arm, he cleared the pool balls away, the 8 ball crashing into the spilt glass and dropping with a thud into the far corner pocket.

_Gonna spread you like butter__  
><em>

Kate gave Rick a triumphant smirk to which he merely responded, "I'll worry about dishpan hands tomorrow," before kissing his way down the expanse of her long, lean stomach.

_Give ya all my bread_

Looking up with sparkling eyes, Castle tugged at Kate's red lace panties, leaving her stockings in place however.

Deftly removing the delicate fabric from Kate's lethal heels, Castle tossed the panties into the pile of deep red that graced his table. Castle let his eyes gaze over Kate's nearly bare body as he stood between her knees.

___Don't want no other girl in my bed_

"More beautiful than I could imagine," he declared dreamily, his fingers ghosting over her newly bared flesh before leaning down to proffer kisses to her belly—Beckett could feel Castle grin as she lifted her hips against his chin, seeking purchase.

"Patience, detective…," Castle schooled against her skin, though his words seemed to go unheeded.

Castle's lips slid over Beckett's Brazilian-waxed bare mound, giving him solid proof that Kate had also fantasized about what might take place that weekend, though he wouldn't point out that obvious fact right now. He didn't want to think about all the damage she could do while still wearing those stilettos.

_Gonna spread you like _

_Hmmmmmm Hmmmmmm…._

Castle swept her nether lips with his tongue, spreading the furrowed crescent to further explore. He suckled at the tender pink flesh, Beckett's tangy sweetness dancing across his tongue. Her hips lifted again, the eager, hidden pearl bumping against the tip of his nose.

"Castle…," Beckett pled in a whisper.

_Gonna spread you like _

_Hmmmmmm Hmmmmmm…._

It was at her peak of need that Castle's teasing finally gave way, lips suckling at Beckett's clit as he thrust one finger deep inside, shortly joined by a second. Kate's thighs clenched around her partner, her sharp heels catching against the waistband of his boxers, leaving what was certain to be a trail of deep, red scratches. With his free hand, Castle quickly shucked off his only remaining garment, revealing his cock, full and straining for the warm, wet flesh now occupied by his lips and tongue.

_Cause I'm feeling lucky_

__His fingers stroked deeply, finding that tender flesh buried deep inside that made Kate writhe and buck against his hand. Long firm strokes of his tongue caused Beckett to call his name hungrily, the sound echoing off the high ceilings and marble floors.

_And I'm feeling you_

Castle lapped at the sweet juices that his tongue had coaxed forth, plunging into the searing heat of his partner's core, his thumb at her clit, the waves of pleasure rolling over his partner, though her core ached more intensely for Castle than ever before.

_It keeps me hungry_

"Castle…," Kate called out dreamily.

_It keeps me mean_

Rick's mouth drew a frenzied path back up Kate's body, offering her a taste of her own tart sweetness as he claimed her mouth, gathering her in his arms as her thighs clutched his body to her own. Perched on the table's edge, Kate reached for Castle's hard length, her thumb swirling at the slick essence at the tip as her fingers stroked his ready flesh. Her other hand raked through his hair, pressing for a voracious kiss.

"Oh…Castle…," Kate breathed out, feeling his cock grow even harder and larger in her hand, shifting her hips so the glistening head broached her warm, wet nether lips.

"Kate?" Castle questioned softly, his wide blue eyes searching her hazel ones. She nodded slightly while her insistent thighs pulled him in tighter.

"Castle!" Beckett cried out in pleasure as he buried his length inside her. Her nipples drew synchronous paths along her partner's chest as her nails marked red crescents on his back.

_I'm sharp like a blade_

"So warm…so tight…," Castle voiced in a hot breath against Beckett's shoulder, nipping and suckling at the tender flesh at the curve of her neck while his large hands cradled her body at the small of her back. Their bodies rolled together, each thrust filling Kate deeper every time, it seemed.

Castle dropped a thumb between their bodies, drawing tiny, slick circles against Kate's clit, bringing her near the edge yet again.

"Do you ever dream about it hard and fast, Castle?" Beckett inquired teasingly, not really expecting a coherent answer.

_And cold like a knife_

Rick Castle had imagined making love to Kate Beckett in a myriad of ways, not the least of which was the wanton scene that was now before him.

Gasping at breath, Beckett held Castle's gaze as she lay back against the deep green, bringing her long stocking-covered legs to rest on Castle's shoulders, sharp red stilettos grazing his ears.

_I'm sharp like a blade_

He held Kate's hips tightly, so she wouldn't be burned by the felt beneath, but he lamented not being able to touch her as he wanted. Nibbling at the shapely calves that rested by his face, Castle once again considered his queue of fantasies, a hungry grin on his lips as he continued to thrust deeply inside his partner.

"Touch yourself, Kate."

_And cold like a knife_

"Castle…," Beckett breathed out a slightly self-conscious plea.

"It is my dream after all," he called back in mischievous warning.

_I'm cold like a knife_

Kate's brow quirked as she regarded her partner, a wicked smirk playing across her face.

"Of course," she conceded, suckling her fingers in her mouth before dipping them lower on her body, one hand moving to her breast as the other reached between her legs.

The image of his partner rolling her cherry-colored nipple between the fingers of one hand, while the others stroked deeply within the bare furrow below spurred Richard Castle to a frenzy, sliding long and deep as his rhythm increased.

"Is this how you touch yourself…reading in the bathtub?" Rick asked breathlessly as he drove into Kate's depths, already knowing which chapters of his books were dog-eared and water-stained.

Eyes fluttering closed, Kate hummed a dreamy affirmative, relishing how her partner filled her while her fingers danced along her clit.

"Aren't you afraid of dropping your book?" he questioned with a grin.

"I always know where I can get another one," Kate responded, opening her eyes and smirking wickedly.

_I'm cold like a knife_

"Do you now?" Castle picked up his pace, much to his partner's delight.

"Mmm-hmm," Kate purred as Castle pushed her thighs ever closer to her chest. "Castle…," Kate groaned as every stroke of his long shaft produced pleasurable moans that echoed off the high ceilings.

He bent further to try to swallow the sounds of Beckett's pleasure, but as Castle did so, he found his partner's arms and legs clenching round him, Rick Castle stumbling back at the unexpected shift.

ooooooo

_meanwhile, upstairs_

Javier Esposito rolled onto his back with a smug smile as Lanie tried to catch her breath.

"Now what was that little comment you made earlier about _pocket pool_?" Esposito snarked with a grin, his hand drifting absently up and down his girlfriend's warm thighs.

The M.E. rolled toward Esposito, smiling as she toyed with the fine curls on his chest.

"More nights like this, and I think self-gratification will be the least of your worries," Lanie smiled, leaning in for a satisfied kiss.

Relaxing in their post-coital bliss, the detective and the M.E. both furrowed their brows and looked toward the door as muffled groans seemed to emanate from downstairs. Esposito's face grimaced in guilty sympathy.

"Oh, man, I didn't think he'd really drink that last one," Esposito chuckled, his amusement equaled only by his blame.

"Tell me you did not bring that Mescal you confiscated from your nephew to the Hamptons!" Lanie sat up, smacking her boyfriend's bicep in a show of punishment.

"There was just a little left—I meant it as a joke. Thought it would be damn funny when Castle stared down that worm in the bottom of the glass," Esposito tried to contain his laughter, assuming that the groans they heard were the result of Castle shooting back the drink in his lonely haste without looking first.

His poor explanation only drew another smack from his girlfriend.

"Hey, I was pouring top-shelf the rest of the night," he tried to rationalize, closing his eyes, satisfied with his explanation.

"Still…," Lanie huffed.

"Hey, with Castle's imagination, he'll probably turn this into a chapter of his next book."

"If he can remember it!" Lanie scolded.

"He'll be fine," Javier blew off, settling in against his luxurious pillow.

Just then, a loud crash and shattering glass falling to the floor startled the pair. Eyes wide, the detective and M.E. both looked to the door in genuine worry.

Quickly scrambling into his boxers and reaching into the nightstand for his service weapon, Esposito immediately fell into detective mode, despite his lack of clothing.

"Be careful," Lanie whispered, "and go get Kevin," she ordered in a frightened hush.

"Won't need to—he'll be awake," Esposito stoically grimaced, knowing his partner would have also been alerted by the noise.

Esposito peered at a crack through the door, noting that the hallway was clear, he met his partner at the top of the stairs, with weapon drawn and in a similar state of undress.

"Donald Duck? Really?" Esposito raised his eyebrows at his partner, speaking in low tones.

"They were a _gift_," Ryan defended in a hiss. "Jenny bought them," he explained in a blush that could not be seen in the darkened stairwell. "Come on…let's check this out…."

Stealthily, they made their way down the stairs, careful not to alert any potential perpetrators to their presence. Nearing the open doorway, Esposito and Ryan made ready to surprise the potential invader when they heard their boss's voice call out in a breathy, gratified groan….

"_Castle!...Castle!" _and with a few hitched gasps of breath between and a sudden increase of volume and satisfaction, "_Oh…Castle!"_

With wide, panicked eyes both Esposito and Ryan blanched before spurring each other to silent action, "_Go…go…go_," they both ordered, trying to quickly and quietly beat the other back up the stairs.

Esposito tiptoed rapidly back into the guest room, flinching at the sound of the door's snick as it closed, taking pains to return his gun to the nightstand and close it with equal silence before scurrying back into the covers and facing Lanie's perplexed, worried expression.

"What was it?" she demanded in a whisper. "Who was downstairs?"

"Nobody, baby, let's just get some sleep, ok?" Esposito hedged nervously, fumbling to turn off the lamp.

The couple lay in the dark for a moment before Lanie's muffled snickers could be heard.

"Not a word, _querida_," Esposito warned in his mortification.

"Mmm hmm," Lanie placated unconvincingly before pulling up the covers and snuggling back into a very unnerved Javier Esposito.

ooooooo

After sending a floor lamp crashing to the ground and shaking a couple of paintings off the walls, Beckett steered the joined pair to the wide chaise that lay in front of the French doors facing the sea, cool wind blowing against their bodies as she shifted their pace, riding Castle slowly and sensuously, his eyes dancing over her moonlit body, Castle taking in each part of her with a look absolute adoration and awe.

_Gonna spread you like butter_

Kate smiled warmly and openly as she continued to sheathe herself over and again on Castle's generous length. She let her hands graze at his chest, shoulders and torso, reveling in the exploration of the body she had wondered about through layers of finely spun Italian silk. She grinned as her hands dropped to his hips and thighs, a little astounded at the power left in them after such exuberant lovemaking.

"I must say, Castle, your stamina is quite impressive," Beckett complemented, rolling her hips in circles as he held her.

"Well, that's the beauty of knowing you're dreaming—you can make it last as long as you want," he grinned, still going strong.

_Give ya all my bread_

"You did always say we would be good together," Beckett reminded, raking her fingers through Castle's damp bangs. "Did you really have any idea?"

"Not a clue," Castle smiled, pulling Kate down for a sweet, deep kiss. Castle's face grew thoughtful as their bodies remained close, though still moving in that now-familiar rhythm.

_Don't want no other girl in my bed_

"Another thing about dreams, Kate, is that you can _say_ whatever you want, as well…," Castle's blue eyes searched Kate's dark, hazel ones. "I love you, Kate. I want to be your one and done, you know?" his eyes crinkled at the corners with his broad smile as he pushed an errant dark lock behind Kate's ear.

Kate smiled and giggled lightly, her face remaining close to his. "I love you too, Richard Castle," she replied, capturing his lips in affirmation.

When they broke the kiss for air, Castle stared at his partner in wonder, a confused line deepening between his eyebrows. Never before in his dreams had he heard Kate respond to his declarations like that. Even his unconscious mind would not have assumed such a truth. His mouth opened slightly in question, but no sound came out.

Beckett grinned as she read her partner as easily as he had ever read her, kissing him again and whispering into his ear, her forehead lying against the soft leather behind them.

"You know that part of the dream you never get to finish…the part that always gets interrupted?"

Castle nodded silently, the worried line still present.

Beckett's voice became thick with promise, "Well, don't you think it's about time?" she asked with a soft smile.

_Gonna spread you like butter_

Castle's smile spread across his face at his enthusiastic nod, shifting to closed eyes and a dropped jaw when Beckett contracted tightly around him, ready to release all the frustration three years of denial could hold.

Realizing what his partner was planning, Castle dropped his thumb to the juncture of Beckett's thighs.

"One more?" he coaxed.

She nodded in assent, Castle latching onto a nipple as he stroked her clit, her sheathe gripping his cock with every plunge of her body onto his.

_Give ya all my bread_

At the pulsing tightening of her walls and quickening of her breath yet once again, Kate begged, "Castle…," urging him to join her.

Without the presence of mind to conjure up impediments and interruptions, too swept up in the too real sensations and his body and heart, Rick Castle, too, let go….

___Don't want no other girl in my bed_

"Kate!" he shouted, loudly enough to be heard over the waves…though Beckett could not care about that, content as she was to have Rick Castle's body flood hers with warmth and satisfaction, milking every last bit of his long-held denial, his body shuddering in the release.

Beckett held her partner as he sought to catch his breath. Finally recovering, Castle looked around the room once more at the unchanging scene, surprised that his own shouts did not wake him.

Beckett chuckled a little at his confusion. Looking around, Beckett took notice of the wreck they had made of the place—the well-appointed game room now resembling a crime scene like any other.

"How are we going to get to bed for all this glass?" she grimaced, a little embarrassed at her actions.

"Not to worry, outside staircase," Castle indicated out the open doors. Beckett grabbed a throw from the chaise to wrap around them as they stepped out in the dark.

"No need for that," Castle scoffed. "No intruders, tonight, remember?" he smiled proudly wrapping his arms around Kate, pulling her close for a kiss.

Nevertheless, Kate wrapped them both in the throw, guarding against onlookers, "Well, Hulk or no Hulk—I'm not taking any chances…."

oooooo

_The next morning_

Richard Castle blinked against the sunlight as his arm stretched out to feel only soft cotton sheets. His hand patted the bed more purposefully, looking about in his confusion and then disappointment.

"_Shit, I knew it –had to be a dream. Gonna' get Esposito back for that damn worm," _he groaned throwing an arm over his eyes to ward off the day.

But then…his nose caught a scent in the air…melted butter, fresh bread, dipped and fried golden…maple syrup…crisp bacon…strong espresso….

_Gonna spread you like_

_Hmmmmmm Hmmmmmm…_

In that moment, Kate Beckett opened his bedroom door, dressed in a red, silky robe, carrying a tray loaded with the delights he had imagined.

With his dropped jaw and catatonic expression of amazement, Beckett sat the tray on the bed and cut a piece of the decadently dripping breakfast treat, feeding a piece to Castle in his stupor.

The writer blinked, finally coming to realize the evident reality of the night's events, beginning to chew as the fog started to lift.

He accepted a bite of bacon from a smiling Kate, his grin beginning to spread even further.

"And, Castle…," Kate purred as she ran a finger through the syrup before placing the tip in her mouth and sucking off the sweet liquid.

_Gonna spread you like_

_Hmmmmmm Hmmmmmm_

"Yes, Kate," Castle looked up, hanging on her every word.

Kate Beckett grinned, "Don't forget the dishes…."


End file.
